Shingle



June 2, 1942. .1. N. WICKERSHAM 2384,705

' SHINGLE Filed May 3, 1940 2 SheeisSheet l /5 If /f 25 23 1 26 24 29 26, 2 26 2127f 23 26 26 '7 I fl INVENTOFP J22 Jame-SN lV/ckersham BY W564 ATTORNEY v June Z, 1942- J. N. WICKERSHAM SHINGLE Filed May 3, 1940 r INVFNTOR Jbmes/V. Makers/2am WRM ATTORNEY Patented June 2, 1942 I 's UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 16 Claims.

7 My invention relates to shingles, and more particularly to a shingle that can be laid on a roof to not utilize the rhombus 01 smaller size than the shingle on the surface thereof to give the in a plurality of different patterns and obtain a I roof that will be tight and wearwell;

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a shingle that has a body portion that is quadrilateral in shape and which has all the sides thereof of the same length, and which has one pair of opposite corners thereof obtuse angled and the other pair of corners thereof acute angld,and to provide means whereby a shingle of this character can be laid in a plurality of different relative arrangements so as to obtain at least four different roof patterns, dependent upon the manner in which the same may be laid. The particular angular arrangement of the sides to each other can be varied as may be found desirable to get either sharperacute angles or acute angles more nearly approaching a right angle at one pair of opposed corners thereof, as may be found desirable, as long as the rhombus shape of the shingleis maintained.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide gauging means on a shingle of the above "mentioned character, to assure the proper relative arrangement of the shingles to each other, to, get the desired appearance to the roof and to get the desired lap of the shingles, and to add to the apof the shingles for the different patterns of roofs that may be laid therewith, it is necessary to have means for indicating a point at a definite uniform distance along each edge of the shingle from each of the comers, or apexes, thereof.

effect of smaller shingles thereto, the gauging can be accomplished by providing merely lines that would correspond to the above mentioned extensions at each corner'of the shingle running parallel to the two adjacent sides at said comer Preferably, this is accomplished by providing a series of distinct lines on the outer surface of the shingle, running each para lel to a side edge thereof, and extending to the side edges that are adjacent that to which the line is parallel, thus providing an outline on the shingle spaced from the edges thereof, that isa similar flgureto the shingle itself, but smaller than the shingle, and extensions of the sides of this figure rimning to the side edges of the shingle; Instead of extending the lines to the edges of the shingle that form this pattern on the surface-of the shingle, similar in shape to the shingle itself, suitable indentations, or small notches, can be provided in the edge portions of the shingle where the lines running parallel to the side edges of the shingle would intersect these sides if extended. If it is desired 'and each intersecting the side that it is not My shingle has the further advantage that it can be laid not only in four different patterns, but can be so laid without providing any locking tongues, or slits, or similar parts that are easily damaged and broken oif, and which can be laid either from right to left or from left to right, as may be found the-most desirabla In what is known as a Dutch-lap roof, it is desirable to lay the shingles so that the exposed edges thereof are on the sides of the shingles nearest the ordinary observer, which would usually be toward the front of the building, to get the best appearance for the roof, this sometimes requires laying the shingles from right to left, and at other times from left to right. My shingle can be laid either way, as it can be turned in any direction to get the desired effect, and the shingles willalways be overlapped in such a way that there will be no vertical edge, or other edge, at the lap, through which water can enter under the shingles, the lap being always such that the water will run 01f a higher shingle onto a lower shingle at a point spaced a sufiicient distance from 'an edge that leakage cannot occur, and never down a vertical edge. I

In the use of my improved shingle, roofs can be laid that will have either an acute angled or an obtuse angled corner of the shingle projecting between two obliquely extending edges of adjacent shingles that are overlapped by said shingle having said projecting corner, said shingle overlapping a shingle that is also overlapped by said shingles having the obliquely extending edges, giving a very pleasing effect to the roof, and my shingle is so made that the same can be readily sealed to the roof at this projecting portion, and thisprojecting corner portion is so constructed that it will not be easily damaged, or broken oif, as is the case with shingles that have tongues, or interlocking points thereon, that m engaged with other shingles, or overlap other up and down by the wind, such flexing causing the granular material on the surface thereof to be loosened. By sealing all the lapped edges together, I provide a shingle roof that is united into one integral unit, instead of constituting a multiplicity of separate units, each of which is subjected to flexing by the wind, as is the case with the usual shingle roof.

It is another important purpose of my invention to utilize a border marking, or line, along the edges of the shingle, to give the same an appearance of greater thickness, the same outlinging the entire shingle so that said shingle can be used with any edge or corner exposed, and cooperating with the other surface markings thereon to give the desired effect to the pattern of the shingles on the roof.

The gauging means, or marking, provided on the shingle is highly important to the success of the use of a shingle of this character, because it provides a means for the roofer of ordinary intelligence to lay the shingle in the plurality of different patterns that it is possible to lay the same, without any waste of time or'making of a large number of gauging marks on the roof as the application of the shingles proceeds. No marking whatsoever is necessary with the use of my shingle, to apply the roof in any of the four patterns illustrated in the drawings, or any others that may be devised. Ordinarily a shingle can be laid in only one manner on a roof, this being particularly true of any sh ngles that utilize look-- ing means for securing an edge of one shingle to an edge of another.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear asthe description of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular details shown or described, except as defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary face view, slightly in perspective, of a portion of a roof employing my improved shingle, the roof being laid by the Dutch lap method.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a roof laid by a modified Dutch lap method, employing my improved shingles, the shingles being laid from right to left.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2. showing the shingles laid from left to, right.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged face view of two overlapping shingles in the form of roof shown in Fig. l, slightly in perspective.

Fig. 5 is a face view partly broken away of a fragment of a roof showing my improved shingle laid thereon in such a mannerthat one of the acute angled corners of each shingle is downward and overlaps the underlying shingles immediately below the same, with said corners'extending beyond the edges of said shingles so as to overlap a shingle that is also overlapped by the two above mentioned shingles.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of a roof in which an obtuse angled corner is laid in a similar overlapping relation to that of the acute angled corner shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary face view of a. portion of the roof shown in Fig.5.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a face view slightly in perspective, of

a modified formof shingle embodying my invention.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 of a further modification, and

Fig. 12, is a fragmentary face view partly in perspective, of a still further modification.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in Fig. 4 is shown a shingle embodying my invention in its preferred form,the shingle being what is generally known as a composition shingle, which in general embodies felt, asphaltic material, and a granular surface on the exposed face thereof, which is secured to the body of the shingle by suitable asphaltic adhesive material. M improved shingle is made in the shape of a rhombus, that is, all four sides of the same are of equal length and the angles at two opposite comers that are formed by adjacent side edges of said shingle at said corners are obtuse, while the other pair of opposite angles at the corners formed by the side edges that are adjacent each other at said corners are acute. The exact angle between the side edges at the corners can be varied as may be desired, to get the desired appearance of the roof, but for any rhombus shaped shingle having certain specific angles between its side edges and its corners, the same can be laid readily in at least four different patterns. Thus in Fig. 1, the shingle shown in Fig. 4 is laid in what is known as a Dutch lap method, while in Figs. 2 and 3 the shingle is laid in a modified Dutch lap method, but with the exposed edges directed oppositely in the two figures. Thus the roof shown in Fig. 2 is laid in a manner such that it will create the best appearance when viewed from the right, or to the right of the center thereof, and the same is true of the roof shown in Fig. 1, while the roof shown in Fig. 3

would have the best appearance when viewed from the left, or at least, from the left of the center thereof. The third method of laying the shingle shown in Fig. 4 is illustrated in Fig, 5, and the fourth method in Fig. 6. It will be obvious upon inspection of these five figures of the drawings, that roofs of widely different appearance can be laid with a standard shingle, all of the same being of the same shape. This reduces cost of production, makes it unnecessary to carry a large stock of various shapes of shingles, and makes it possible to provide a roof of desirable appearance at a reduced cost, giving the purchaser of the roof the opportunity to get four different roof patterns in accordance with his choice.

It will be noted upon reference to Figs. 4, 10 and 11 that all of the shingles that embody my invention have straight side edges and have sharp corners where these side edges meet. There are no interruptions in the edges of the shingle along any of the sides thereof in the form shown in Figs. 4 and 11, and in Fig. 10 there are slight indentations in each of the edges, but no slots, cuts, or' other interruptions, that would weaken the shingle. In all shingles in which locking laid into one roof pattern, because the locking tongues would otherwise expose edges that-would receive water into the same, causing the roof to leak 'due to the water passing under the shingles instead of over the tops thereof.

Due tothe fact that all corners of my shingle are obliquely angled, that is, the sides that intersect, or meet, to form the comers, extend at oblique angles to each other, my improved shingle can be laid in at least four diiferent patterns, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 3,5 and 6, so that the overlapping shingle overlaps the shingles under the same, either along an obliquely extending edge, or alongabottom edge, so that water will run off the top of one shingle over such an edge and down onto the lower shingle, or shingles, that are under this overlapping shingle, without any water running down an edge of the shingle that would extend up and down on the roof persame general shape as the shinglej the lines 25 and 29 intersecting at 30 at an acute angle; the lines 26 and 21 intersecting at 3| at an obtuse angle; the lines 21 and 28 intersecting at 32 at an acute .angle, and the lines 28 and 29 intersecting at 33 at an obtuse angle. The portions 23' of the line 29 that extend beyond the intersection 33 and the intersection 33, intersect the edge 22 and the edge 24 .at a predetermined definite distance from the apex, or corner, 2|, or the apex, or corner, 20, formed by the intersection of the edges 22 and 25fand' edges 24 and 25, respectively, while the portions 26 of the line 26 that extend beyond the apexes 30 and 3| intersect the side edges 25 and 23 at the same distance from the apex, or corner, 2|, and the apex, or corner, along the edges and 23, as

do the lines 23' the edges 22 and 24. In a similar pendicular to a horizontal line. It is these edges that extend perpendicularly to a horizontal line up and down the roof that result in leakage, un-

less a very large overlap is provided, causing great waste of material. In the shingle shown in Fig. 4 the obtuse angled corners are indicated by the numeral 2|l, the acute angled corners by the numeral 2|, and the side edges by the numerals 22, 23, 24 and 25, respectively.

In order to enable the roof to be laid in the gauging means at the time of manufacture. As

the shingles will thus be all marked the same way, with very simple instructions, any skilled roofer can lay these shingles in the four patterns illustrated, without any difliculty, and get the pleasing effect of the roof of .the pattern that is intended to be obtained by the laying of the shingles in the pattern selected.

In the preferred form of the invention, the gauging means also serves as part of the roof pattern, comprising a surface decoration that improves the appearance of the roof and creates the impression that the shingles are smaller than the same actually are, making it possible to make the shingles larger than would be otherwise the case and still obtain a good appearance of the roof. The gauging means shown in the preferred formof my invention comprises distinct lines of a contrasting color to the exposed surface of the shingle, on said exposed surface, said lines being applied by printing, or painting, or other surface decoration methods. Said lines comprise lines parallel to the side edges of the shingle, and comprise a decorative gauging line 26 parallel to the edge 22 of the shingle, a decorative gauging line 21 parallel to the edge 23 of the shingle, a decorative gauging line 23 parallel to the edge 24 of the shingle, and'a decorative gauging line 29 parallel to the edge 25 of the shingle. The lines 26, 21, 23 and 23 all lie the same distance from the edges with which the same are parallel and form a rhombus shaped figure on the shingle that is smaller than the shingle itself, but of the manner the portions 21' of the line 21 that extend beyond the intersections 3| and 32 intersect, the edges 22 and 24 at the same distance from an apex, or corner, 23, or an'apex, or corner, 2|, and the portions 28' of the line 28 intersect the edges 23 and 25 at the same uniform distance from a corner 20 and a corner 2|. Thus at each corner, whether the same be an obtusely angled corner 20, or acutely angled corner 2|, there will be two distances from that corner, or apex, marked off along the edges that intersect, or meet, to form said apex, or corner, that are equal, these being equal to each other at all four corners of the shingle, and these intersections, along with the lines themselves, provide means for readily and accurately laying the shingles a shown in the drawings.

In the manner in which the shingles are shown as laid in Fig. 1, these are arranged exactly as shown in Fig. 4, that is, the edge 23 overlaps the edge 25 of the next adjacent shingle in a row, or course, and the edges 22 are lowermost and the edges of the next higher course of shingles overlap the edges 24 of the next lower course.

Preferably, means is provided for giving the shingles the appearance of having a greater thickness than the material thereof actually has, as the appearance of thickness in a shingle is particularly desirable and gives a better appearance to the pattern of the roof. In order to obtain this appearance of thickness, a border line, or stripe, 34 extends around the entire shingle at the edges 22, 23, 24 and 25, said border line being of a contrasting color to the surface coloring of the shingle itself. Preferably, the lines 25, 21, 28 and 29, and the stripe or line 34 are of the same color as the body portion of the shingle under the surface coating, which is usually black. By laying the shingles as best illustrated in Fig. 4 with the line 28, for example, and the edge 22 50 arranged that the edge 22 lies substantially at the outer edge of the line,-or stripe, 28, the border line, or stripe, 34, the dark material at the edge 22 and the gauging mark, or stripe 28cooperate to give the appearance of a very thick edge to the shingle. The edges 23 and gauging lines 29 of the overlapped shingles in each course are similarly arranged to give'a similar effect to the obliquely extending margins of the shingles that laid in the ordinary Dutch lap method, as illustrated in Fig. 1, can be laid two diiierent ways and have exactly the same appearance, that is,

the edge 22 and the 'edge 24 are interchangeable, and either could be placed downward. If the shingle is laid from leftto right, instead of from right to left, as shown in Fig. 1, an obtuse angled 1 corner 20 would; of course, be at the lower left hand corner and at the upper right hand corner of the shingle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. In all of the figures the roof is only shown partly laid,

so thatthe edges that would be normally covered up, such as the edges 25 and 24, shown in'Fig. 1, and the lines 28 and 29, can 'be more readily illustrated. Of course, the lines 28 and 29 are exposed in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but due to the fact that the scale is insuflicient to illustrate this, no

attempt has been made to show a line 29 adjacent an edge 23, nor has any attempt been made to show the border line, or stripe, 34, which is shown in Fig. 4, as the scale does not permit this Instead of merely overlapping the shin-v and 28 aligning, as in the form shown in Fig. 2.

the width of the band between a gauging line and an edge, as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4, the shingle is given twice this lap in both directions, thus causing the roof to have an entirely different effect on the observer than that shown in Fig. 1. This is due to the fact that by so arranging the shingles, one of the obtuse angled corners 20 will project into the area defined by the inner rhombus formed by the lines 28, 21, 28 and 23 on the surface of the shingle, thus breaking the rhombus eflect by means of a smaller rhombus shaped figure projecting into the same as a corner, or point, giving a more varied effect to the appearance of the roof. In laying a roof in-this manner, an edge 22 or 24 is used as the bottom edge of the shingle and an edge 23 or 25 is used as an obliquely extending side edge. The edge 22, instead of aligning with a gauging line 28 of an overlapped shingle that lies to the right of the particular shingle being laid, as illustrated in Fig. 2, will overlap this line 28 to such an extent that the line 26 on the overlapped shingle will be substantially aligned with the line 28 of the shingle that the corner 20 overlaps, while the next shingle to the right of the shingle that has the corner 20 overlapping this particular shingle, will have the. bottom edge 22 thereof lying closely adjacent the line'28 on the overlapped shingle. Thus a sort of a stepped arrangement of the shingles is provided, as will be evident from Fig. 2.

In Fig. 3 the shingles are laid in exactly the same manner as in Fig. 2, except that these are laid from lft to right, instead of from right to left. In order to lay the shingles in this manner, an obtuse angled corner 20 is placed at the lower left hand corner of the shingle in laying the same, and an edge 23 or 25 becomes the lower edge of the shingle, and an edge 22 Or 24 becomes the obliquely extending edge of the shingle. The shingles are overlapped in a similar manner to that described in Fig. 2, being arranged in a similar stepped arrangement, except that the shingles are arranged one step higher toward the left end of the roof, instead of toward the right end of the roof, and a gauging line 21 of a shingle, the corner 20 of which overlaps a shingle to the left thereof, aligns with the gauging line 23 of that shingle, instead of the lines 26 It will be obvious that the only difference in the arrangement of the shingles shown in Fig. 2 and in Fig. 3 is that a different edge is lowermost, and that the long axes of the shingles extend on a diagonal in a different direction on the roof and that the obliquely extending edges 22 are visible from the left of the roof, or to the left of the center thereof, while in Fig. 2 the obliquely extending. edges 23 are visible from the right of the roof, or to the right of the center thereof.

In Fig. 5 a portion of a roof is shown in which the shingles are laid so that the acute angled corners 2| thereof are at the lower and at the upper ends'of said shingles, and the lower acute angled corner of an overlapping shingle overlaps two obtuse angled corners of adjacent shingles that are laid with said obtuse angled corners in engagement with each other, as indicated at 35 in Fig. 5. In Fig. 5 the roof is shown as being only partly laid, three courses of shingles being shown as being in position part way across the roof. A starting strip 38 is used in this arrangement of shingles on the roof, and this starting strip is of a width that is equal to half the distance from one corner 2| to the other corner 2|, or equal to half the long diagonal of the shingle. The lower acute angled corners, or apexes, 2| of the shingles are laid even with the lower edge of the starting strip-36, thus aligning the obtuse angled corners, or apexes, 20 of this lower course of shingles with the top edge of the starting strip 36, and if these shingles are laid so that the corners, or apexes, 2| are on the bottom edge of the starting strip and the corners, or apexes, 20 on the top edges of the starting strip, and substantially in engagement with each other, the pattern of the roof will be properly started and will be easily laid in a regular and pleasing manner. In order to lay a succeeding course of shingles, such as the second course shown, the lower acute angled corner 2| of the shingle that overlaps the first or lower course of shingles, is placed in. position so that the portion 29 of the gauging mark or line 29 will align with the edge 25 of the shingle, that is, overlapped thereby, or the edge 23, if the shingle is reversed end for end, the edges 23 and 25 corresponding, of course. Also the portion 26' of the line 25 is aligned with the edge 22 of the adjacent overlapped shingle, or the edge 24, if the shingle is turned-end for end, it, of course, being understood that any of the shingles could be reversed end for end and corresponding lines thereon lined up with corresponding edges of the overlapped shingles to get the proper projection of the acute angled corner between the two diagonal edges of the overlapped shingles.

At the starter strip 36, the acute angled corner 2| only overlaps the starter strip, but in the second course of shingles the acute angled corner 2| also overlaps one of the shingles of the first course lying within the rhombus shaped outline formed by the gauging marks, or lines, as will be evident from Fig. 5, the shingles having these acute angled corners 2| overlapping both the obtuse angled corners of two shingles immediately below the same, and also the body portion of the shingle of the next lower course below the one containing these two shingles inwardly from the upper acute angled corners thereof.

In Fig. 7 a portion of one of the overlapping joints of the roof shown in Fig. 5 is shown, and in Figs. 8 and 9 the relative arrangement of the overlapped parts is illustrated in section. The top or outer face of the roof is at the left in Fig.

shingles of the various courses 'can be properly identified in Figs. '1, Band 9 the shingle of the lowermost course illustrated is designated A, the

two shingles-of the next higher course are designated B and B and the shingle of the third' course that overlaps all these is indicated by the letter C. It will be noted that the upper acute angled corner 2| of the shingle A extends under the shingle C, and that said shingle A also extends hnder portions of the shingles B and B, which meet at 35. It will be further noted that the portion of theshingle C that has the lower apex, or corner, 2| thereon which lies between the edges 22 and 25 and the lines 29' and 26', is bent downwardly against the shingle A and secured thereto by cementing material 31, which is of an asphaltic character. This cementing material 31 is used for sealing the engaging portions of the other shingles where the same are lapped, to each other, throughout all the lapping portions thereof. Thus all edges of the shingles are sealed down and the roof is made into a single unit, with no loose edges anywhere that can be turned up or bent back and forth, or otherwise flexed by the wind. This rnakes the root much tighter than would otherwise be possible and also more long lasting, and avoids all difiiculties that might exist with any roof that would have a small projecting portion, such as the sharp pointed' portion having the corners 2|, as illustrated in Fig. 5, which, if unsecured, would-be easily damaged and might readily cause leakage,

means,

. Instead of arranging the shingles as shown in Figs. 5, 7, 8 and 9, the same can be arranged as shown in Fig. 6, in which an, obtuse angled cor-- ner 2|| is downward instead of the acute angled corner 2|, and the acute angled corners 2| are arranged in corner to corner engagement. Instead of usinga starting strip that is half of the long diagonal of one of the shingles, a starting in the same manner as in Fig. 5, except that the' obtuse angled comers are downward, instead of the acute angled corners.

Instead of providing parallel lines to each of the side edges that extend to the adjacent side edgesfor gauging lines, as in the form of the invention 'shown in Fig. 4, the shingle can be made as shown in Fig. 10, in which the gauging lines I25, I21, I28 and I29, are provided, extending parallel to the side edges I22, I23, I24 and I25, respectively. Thus an exactly similar figure to that formed'by the side edges of the shingle is provided on the shingle on the top face thereof spaced a uniform distance from the side edges of the shingle. The border line 34 is provided around all the edges of the shingle, as previously described, and a very pleasing effect can be obtained from the use of this shingle. As further gauging means, the slight indentations, or notches, 40 are provided, which are spaced a uniform distance from each of the obtuse angled corners I20, and each of the acute angled corners I2I, said identations, or notches, being very slight in character and being somewhat exaggerated in size in the drawings to show the same,

stripes, I29, I21, I28 and I29 would intersect the marginal edges of the shingle.

If it is desired to have still a diiierent design of shingle and obtain the same general result, as far as the gauging means is concerned, and obtain an entirely difierent design of the surface marking of the shingle on the roof, the form of shingle shown in Fig. 11 can be utilized, in which the marginal edges of the shingle are indicated. by the numerals 222, 223, 224 and225, the obtuse angled corners by the numeral 229 and the acute angled corners by the numeral 22 I The marginal stripe, or borderline, or shadow line, 34 is provided as previously described in connection with the other forms of the invention, and two short intersecting lines 4| and 42 are provided at each of the obtuse angled corners, the lines 4| extending parallel to the edges 224 and 222, and the lines 42 extending parallel to the edges 223 and 225. Thus a small rhombus is formed at each of these comers that is similar to the rhombus formed by the sideedges of the shingle. Similar lines 43 and 44 that intersect, are provided at the acute angled corner 22I. The lines 43 are parallel to the side edges 222 and 224, and the lines 44 are parallel to the side edges .223 and 225, said lines 43 and 44 forming rhombuses similar to the rhombuses formed by the .lines 4| and 42 with the border lines 34 at the side edges 223 and 224, and 222 and 225, respectively. The lines 4| and 43 are in transverse alignment, and the lines 42 and 44 are in transverse alignment, and correspond to the extensions of the lines that form the sides of the inner rhombus made up of the sides 25, 21, 29 and 29 in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4. These lines can be used as gauging means in laying the shingle in the same manner as the rhombus shaped figure with the extensions thereon shown in Fig. 4, or the rhombus shaped figure shown in Fig 10 and the gauging notches,

or recesses 40.

In this form of the invention the only marking that will be visible, aside from that outlining the edges of the shingle, will be small diamond shaped figures at regularly spaced intervals along'the roof, which will be those that are lowermost in the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and will be those, for example, at the lower right'hand corner shingle in the Dutch lap roof shown in Fig. 1, and will, of course, be the projecting obtuse angled comers in the form of roof shown in Figs. 2 and 3. 01'

' lines, to provide the design on .the surface of it being sufiicient to only provide enough of a notch, or dent, in the edge of the shingle to mark the points where theextensio'ns of the lines, or

the shingle and as gauging means, the same can be embossed or slightly indented in the shingle, as shown in Fig. 12, in which the indentation 326, parallel to the edge 322, is shown, and the indentation 329, parallel to the edge 325, is shown, these having the extensions 329' and 326' ,running to the edges of the shingle in a similar manner to that shown in Fig. 4 for the extensions 26' and 29'. The indentations are somewhat exaggerated in depth in Fig. 1-2, to more clearly show the same. Of course, the embossing would be, provided parallel to all four edges of the shingle, in a similar manner to that shown for the lines in Fig. 4.

What I claim is: c

1. A composition shingle having an imperforate quadrilateral body portion, the opposite side edges of which are parallel to each other, all the side edges of said shingle being of the .same length and being straight and uninterrupted, the adjacent side edges meeting to form sharp corners, the edges forming each of one pair of opposite corners extending at an acute angle to each other and the edges forming each of the other pair of opposite corners extending at an obtuse angle to each other.

2. A composition shingle having an imperiorate quadrilateral body portion, the opposite side edges of which are parallel to each other, all the side edges of said shingle being of the same length and being straight, the adjacent side edges meeting to form sharp corners, the edges forming each of one pair of opposite corners extending at an acute angle to each other and the edges forming each of the other pair of oppositecorners extending at an obtuse angle to each other, said shingle having edge stripes pro.-

ia'cent each of the four corners of said shingle,

and each extending to the side edges of said shingle adjacent the edge to which said line is parallel.

7. A composition shingle having an equilateral quadrilateral body portion having pairs of parallel straight side edges, the adjacent side.

edges meeting to form two acute angled opposed corners and two obtuse angled opposed corners, and gauging means for laying said shingles in a plurality of overlapping relationships comprising gauging marks extending parallel to each of the viding shadow lines on the top face thereof along the entire length of all the side edges of said shingle.

3. A composition shingle having an equilateral quadrilateral body portion having pairs of parallelstraight side edges, the adjacent side edges meeting to form two acute angle opposed corners and two obtuse angled opposed corners, and gauging means adjacent each of the four corners of said shingle for laying said shingles in a plurality of overlapping relationships comprising means for indicating two points on each of said side edges near the opposite ends thereof, said points being equidistant from the corners of said shingle. v

4. A composition shingle having an equilateral quadrilateral body portion having pairs of parallel straight side edges, the adjacent side edges meeting to' form two acute angled opposed corners and two obtuse angled opposed corners, and gauging means for laying said shingles in a plurality of overlapping relationships comprising decorative gauging marks comprising lines extending parallel to each of the side edges of said shingle at uniform distances from said side edges and intersecting adjacent each of the four corners of said shingle.

5, A composition shingle having an equilateral quadrilateral body portion having pairs of'parallel straight side edges, the adjacent side edges meeting to form two acute angled opposed corners and two obtuse angled opposed corners, and gauging means for laying said shingles in a plurality of overlapping relationships comprising gauging marks extending parallel to each of the side edges of said shingle at uniform distances from said side edges, and forming a closed figure similar to that of the .body portion of the shingle on the exposed face of said shingle.

6. A composition shingle having an equilateral quadrilateral bodyportion having pairs of parallel straight side edges, the adjacent side edges meeting to form two acute angled opposed corners and two obtuse angled opposed corners, and gauging means for laying said shingles in a plurality of overlapping relationships comprising decorative gauging lines extending parallel to each of said side edges of said shingle at uniform distances from said side edges intersecting adside edges of said shingle at uniform distances from said side edges and forming a closed figure similar to that of the body portion of the shingle onthe exposed face of said shingle, and means for indicating a point on each of said adjacent side edges equidistant from the corner formed thereby.

8. A composition shingle having an equilateral quadrilateral body portion having pairs of parallel straight side edges, the adjacent side edges meeting to form two acute angled opposed corners and two obtuse angled opposed corners, gauging means for laying said shingles in a plurality of overlapping relationships comprising means for indicating a point on each of said adjacent side edges equidistant from the comer formed thereby, gauging marks extending parallel to each of the side edges of said shingle at uniform distances from said side edges and forming a closed figure similar to that of the body portion of the shingle on the exposed face of said shingle, and a shadow line similar to the gauging marks on the top face thereof along all the edges of said shingle.

9. A composition shingle having an equilateral quadrilateral body portion having pairs of parallel straight side edges, the adjacent side edges meeting to form two acute angled opposed corners and two obtuse angled opposed corners, and gauging means adjacent all four of said corners for laying said shingles in a plurality of overlapping relationships comprising indentations for indicating a point on each of the side edges forming each of said comers, said indentations being equidistant from the corner formed by adjacent side edges.

10. A composition shingle having an imperof said corners for laying said shingles in a plurality of overlapping relationships comprising a plurality of intersecting lines adjacent each of said corners, said lines each extending from a point spaced from a corner thereof parallel to one of the edges meeting at said corner and intersecting the other edge meeting at said corner, said lines forming closed figures with the side edges of said shingle at each of said comers.

11. A roof comprising a plurality of imperforate, quadrilateral shingles having the adjacent side edges thereof extending at oblique angles to each other overlapped so that all the lap joints running down the slope of the roof have edges of shingles exposed that extend obliquely of the roof to the bottom edge of each shingle, all the engaging surfaces of all the lapped shine gles at all joints of said roof being cemeneted together.

12. A roof comprising a plurality of imperiorate, .equilateral, quadrilateral shingles having the adjacent side edges thereof extending at oblique angles to each other, the shingles of each course overlapping an adjacent shingle of said course on a line extending obliquely of the horizontal and the shingles of each course overlapping the shingls of the next lower course on a horizontal line, all the engaging surfaces of all the lapped shingles at all joints of said roof being cemented together.

13. A roof comprising a plurality of imperf0-' rate, equilateral, quadrilateral shingles having the adjacent side edges thereof extending at oblique angles to each other, the shingles of each course overlapping an adjacent shingle of said course on a line extending obliquely of the horizontal and the shingles of each course overlapping the shingles of the next lower course, the shingles of each course being arranged in a stepped relationship to form oblique rows up the side of said roof, all the engaging surfaces of all i the lapped shingles at all joints of said roof being cemented together.

14. A roof comprising a plurality of imperiorate, equilateral, quadrilateral shingles having the adjacent side edges thereof extending at oblique angles to each other, the shingles of each course beinglaid corner to corner and a tapering end portion of each shingle of a higher course overlapping side edge portions extending obliquely to each other 0! two adjacent shingles of a lower course said tapering end terminating in a corner lying between the said side edge portions tapering end portion having an acute angled corner at its bottom end lying between said side edge portions of said overlapped shingles, all the engaging surfaces of all the lapped shingles at all joints of said roof being cemented together.

16. A roof comprising a plurality of imperiorate, equilateral, quadrilateral shingles each having two opposed acute angled corners and two opposed obtuse angled corners, the shingles of each course being laid corner to corner and a tapering end portion of each shingle of a higher course overlapping inclined side edge portions extending obliquely to each other of two adjacent shingles of a lower course, the overlapping tapering end portion ,having an obtuse angled comer at its bottom end lying between said side edge portions of said overlapped shingles, all the engaging surfaces of all the lapped shingles at all joints of said roof being cemented together. JAMES R. WICKERSHAM. 

